1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for carrying sports equipment such as surfboards, stand up paddleboards (SUP), snowboards, snow skis, and the like, where the carrier device is self-adjusting to the size of the object being carried, and the device can be worn as a belt with an integral personal flotation device (PFD) when not carrying the sports equipment.
2. Background
The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
U.S. patentsU.S.Pat. No.Kind CodeIssue DatePatentee3,777,007224-205August 1968Gaylor3,591,063224-55July 1971Pearce4,483,380206/315.1November 1984Beran4,804,025224/604February 1989Bear5,094,344206/315.1March 1992Savage4,724,989224/609February 1988Silberberg5,823,551280/47.131October 1998Conroy
Foreign Patent DocumentsForeign Doc. Nr.Kind CodePubl. DateCountry2490597224/917March 1982France3225842206/523February 1984Germany8501194224/917March 1985PCT Int'l Appl.20050236450224/577.000Oct. 27, 2005PCT Int'l Appl.20080057805B63B 35/79June 2008PCT Int'l Appl.
Carrying an article like a surfboard or stand up paddleboard (SUP) to and from the water has always been a problem since the inception of surfing. Surfboard designers design surfboards to facilitate their functionality while in the water. The width of a surfboard or SUP contributes to its floating capability and thus its performance. As the width of the board increases to improve performance, it becomes more difficult to carry. In some cases, people's arms are just not long enough to carry the surfboard or SUP. As result, many individuals have made attempts to solve this problem of carrying a surfboard to the water. These include the Sling for Surfboard (U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,007), Surfboard Carrier (U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,063), Foldable protective cover and carrier for sports equipment (U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,380), Carrying harness for surfboards and the like (U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,025), Surfboard carry case (U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,344), Sailboard carrying apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,989), Surfboard or sailboard carrier (U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,551), System transport of machine water sport as, for example the windsurfing (U.S. Pat. No. 2,490,597), Transport protection for surfing equipment (U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,842), Carrying harness for rectangular or oval body and accessories (U.S. Pat. No. 8,501,194), Board sling (20050236450) and Devices and Methods for Carrying and Storing a Surfboard (20080057805).
All the above designs have had some deficiency in their approach. Two of the above patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,591,063 and 5,823,551 each require the use of at least one hand, thereby limiting the user's ability to carry other important equipment such as a wetsuit, cooler, towel, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,007, PCT 8501194 and PCT 20080057805 each consist of two straps and some initial setup adjustments prior to use for the size of the surfboard and size of the user. A new setup would be required for a different user or a different size surfboard. This increases the time to utilize the device and discourages its use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,483,380, 4,724,989 and 4,804,025 each utilize bars or rods in their approach. This complicates the assembly, has multiple parts and when not in use these bars and rods require additional area when transporting and storing them.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,344, PCT 20050236450, German Pat. No. 3225842 and France Pat. No. 2490597 are carrier style bags or blankets. The bag/blanket approach requires enough material to cover the surfboard which increases the cost to manufacture, store and ship.
Besides the deficiencies as described above, all of these solutions miss the one key element of the problem: a user needs to carry surfboards both to and from the water's edge. The ocean is a dynamic environment such that the entry and exit point of the water may not be the same. The ocean's longshore currents (side currents) could move the user hundreds of yards down the shore from where they entered. Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus that can go with the user into the water and be readily available for use upon exiting the water.